Improvement in curtain-fixtures



N. CAMPBELL. I Improvement in Curtain-Fixtures. N0, 114,918 wwwl\f1ay'16,1871i NATHAN oAMPenLn or' ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

` Letters Patent No. 114,918, dated May 16, 1871; antedated'May 12 1,871.

IMPROVEMENT IN CURTAIN-FIXTURES.

` i -The Schedule referred to' in these lLetters Patentfaud making part the same.

NATHAN CAMPBELL, of Rochester, in the county of' Monroe and State of'New York, have invented certain Improvements in Curtain-Fixtures, of which Vthe following is a specification.

Myinvention consists more particularly ina modication of a -xture patented by J. Chase',- March, 1868, by which the vroller is unlockedby-a direct down- 'ward pull upon the elevating-cord.

Figure 1 `represents a front view of the lockingbracket andl connected parts. Y

Figures -2 and 3 are side elevations of the same.

Thegudgeon of the spool B has a bearing in a boss formedupon the pendulous leve-ra, and thelatter is pivoted in asuitable manner to the bracket A.

The elevating-cord d' passes from the spool through an opening, c, in the lower arm of the lever, and extends downward near the window-casing, usually terminating in a tassel.

One rim of the spool B is provided with ratchetteetb, which engage witha stop, g, upon the bracket, and when so engaged prevent the, Yroller from revolviug'in the direction ofthe gravitating tendency of the curtain. A y

Thus, when the cord dis pulled thelevera .is swung outward, as indicated in dotted lines in g.2, and the spool B with it, releasing the ratchet. from the stop g vand allowing the curtain to descend,^the cord meantime drawing through the'hand-of the operator, whoV exerts only a slight pressure upon it.

Y"The curtain is in turn raised by drawing the cord,

which, as soon as released, allows the ratchet to'engage with the stop g, locking the roller at any required point by its own weight upon the lever.

It is evident from the above that I`adopt the main features of the device patented byl said Chase, (of whichv patent I am now part owner,) but I have sought by my improvementsto render the fixture more-conf venient and devoid of the objections to which the other was liable. Thus the Chase fixture had a straight lever hanging perpendicularly from the pivoting point, and the c'ord passed through it either at-apoint directly under the center ofthe roller or some distance outside of it, and consequently it was necessary-to give the cord or tassel a swing outward into the room in order to nnlock the ratchet, rendering the fixture worthless when lace or other curtains were hungr over the rolling shades.

' Also,-since thejpivotin point of theleve'r was directly over the center. of t e roller, it is plain that the gravity ofthe curtain was insufficientto insure a safe' locking of the ratchet, as a swing ofthe curtain by a draught of air or otherwise was liable to draw it away from the stop and allow the curtain to descend suddenly.`

By reference to gs. 2 and 3 it will-be observed that the pivoting a ot the lever a is somewhat within a vertical line through the center of the roller, and therefore the'weight ofthe curtain always exerts a pressure laterally upon the lever. to retain the ratchet in contact with stop,`a'nd more than counterbalances the tendency of the'lower end of sufch lever to swing toward the operator by its gravity.

By constructing the lever so that'the cord ,passes through the opening e, considerably within the vertical line above named, it is plain that a directdownward pull upon'such cord unlocks the ratchetby swinging -the lever outward, as indicated in dotted lines, fig. 2. Thus I render the device perfectly safe in its operation, and make it convenient for use with other curtains.

For the purposeof limiting the swing of the lever to just sufficient to free the ratchet from the stop, I

provide a curved slot, c, g..3, in the bracket, into which the gudgeon of the roller projects.

It is vplain that the movementvo the latter, and

consequently of the lever, is limited by the length of the slot.

The lug j, gs. 1 and 2,- cast upon the bracket, accomplishes the same object.r y

VVh'at I claim asmy invention is- AThe arrangement of the cord-opening e in the lower ,endof the lever, with relation to the 4center of the curtainfroller-and to the pivoting point of said lever, vwhereby the ratchet is unlocked by a direct downward pull upon the elevating-cord, in the manner set l y forth.

' N. CAMPBELL.

Witnesses:

F. H. CLEMENT, GEO. T. PARKER. 

